Fireproof window construction.



W. R. KINNBAR. PIREPROOP WINDOW CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.14, 1911.

Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

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WILLIAM R. KINNEAR, OF NEW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

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A Application filed December 14, 1911. Serial No. 665,789.

'1 u all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM R. KINNEAR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of New Castle, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fireproof WVindoW Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of light spaces or windows in buildings, and has for its object to provide a construction which will not be destroyed or sufficiently impaired to permit the passage of flame in the event of its being subjected to heat or conflagration.

Since the advent of wire-glass which pre-- vents destruction of the glazing,-one of the chief causes of impairment of glazed metallic frames or sash light openings, when subjected to intense heat, is the buckling of the glazed frame when expanding against nonyieldingv masonry. The present invention overcomes this objection by mounting the glazed frame initscasing or outer frame, through means which while at all .times holding the glazed frame against transverse or edgewise displacement as a whole, will, under temperatures sufficient to develop destructive expansion, permit relative movement of a frame member or frame members, relatively to the confining outer frame sufficient to compensate for such expansion.

In carrying out the invention, a glazed sash, or: Window frame is confined in channels of the surrounding frame or casing in a known manner, except that one or more spaces. are left between faces ofthe confining and confined members, which are opposedin the direction of expansion. To prevent relative movement between parts, a confined.

member 's secured to,a confining member by tie bolts which while permitting movement.

of parts of the confined member, due to expansion, will not admit of movement of the confined member as a whole. Such tie bolts are, however, so introduced as to slip in one or both of the united members, when the confined member expands as a whole under heat. As a further positioning means, compressible filling pieces are introduced .between the said opposed faces of the confining and confined members, and these com pressible filling means may be either a resilie'nt device such as a spring or a body of ductile metal of'low fusibility. The tie bolts conveniently serve for holding the filling pieces in place and putting them under initial compression.

The invention consists in certain novel features of construction which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying. drawings, in which,

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

Figure 1 isa sectional View of a windows frame construction together with a mounting for securing itin fposition between two masonary members 0 a building; Fig. 2 is a detail view of a construction similar to that shown in Fig. l, but with a modified form of yieldingly resisting filling member between the frame and its mounting; Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly in section, showing by dotted lines the relative position of the yieldingly -resisting filling members shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig.4 is a view corresponding .to Fig. 1, but on a reduced scale, showing a further embodiment of the invention, wherein a single resisting or filling ,member of the character which adapts it to yield under excessive pressure or heat, is lo cated in position to serve a plurality of frames.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, 1 represents the masonry, 2 a channel bar mounting inserted in the masonry and 3 a member of a window- 5 frame which is confined transversely by the channel mounting2, but which is so proport-ioned as to be free from direct abutment against said mounting. At suitable intervals between the members 2 and? are lo--' cated filling members 4: which are of a material that will yield under excessive pressure developed by expansion under heat, either by the upsetting of a soft metal such as lead, or by the flowing of the metal and its displacement from resisting. position, under temperature above metal. These filling membera are adapted to properly space the window-frame in the mountings and hold it normally against movement in the direction of the plane of the window, but their resistance is yielding in the sense that it willbe overcome by the effects of a fire, either directly as by the melting of the filling member, or indirectly as by thev upsetting of the filing member under the expansion ofthe fra e. 5 represents adjusting nuts on tie bolts 6 passing through those walls of the confined and confining members which are opposed in the direction of expansion under heat.

' According to Fig. 2, the yieldingly resistthe fusing point of the.

. sufficiently ing filling member is in the orm of a stiff displacement should they become loose, by

a building,

for compensation or having the bolts 6 or other equivalent means pass through the filling members. Bolts 6 likewise serve as tension members to center the, window-frame in the opening of thewhich it is intended to close. According to Fig. 4, the yieldingly resisting llin'g member is in the form of a plurality oflead or other soft metal washers or bodies-4", located between the I-beam mountpair of window-frame 31Wh0se opposite si es \may be in firm abutment against the masonry 1 without-any provisioh yielding in the event of expansion of the window-frames; expansion. being wholly provided for in the intermediate yieldingly resisting filling member. Inasmuch as the abutting members 7 are flan ed members, the yieldingly resistant portion of the filling member may be restricted inaxial dimension to the planes of sion in the plane of the frames.

' bolt draws firmly the flanges, the intermediate portion bein for the sake of economy, supplied by a hard metal spacer 8, if desired, and the. whole. secured in position by a bolt 9. Or the member 8 may be omitted if the compressible parts 4 are so mounted upon the bolt 9 as to revent axial displacement thereon.

In t e construction shown in Fig.4, the v upon'the abutting members 7 through the medium of sealing plates 10 which hold the window-frames in alinement without interfering with their expan- In other words, the mounting for the frame or frames in this instance, comprises the lates 10 and the tying bolts 9 which 'provi e for the frame or frames a channeled receiving bearing. The advantage of the cons ruction shown in Fig. 4;, arises from the fact that the plates 10 will readily communicate to the parts 4, heat sufiicient to fuse saidparts, when made of readily fusible material.

In using the expression bolts in the' foregoing specification, it is intended to include rivets or other obvious equivalents capable of affording support or confinement for the compressible fillin members and performing the other descri ed functions of the bolts. U

I claim '1. In a fire proof window construction,

the combination of the confined and confining members fitted one within the other with a spac e between the faces of said members which are opposed in the direction of expansion under heat, tension means on each side of the'confined member rigidly securing it against movement as a whole relatively to the confining member, toward the other side, .but permittin a part of the confined member to move re atively to the confining member under inherent expansion of the confined member.

2. In a fire proof window construction, the combination of the confined and confining members fitted one within the other with a space between the faces of said members' whlch are opposed in the direction of expansion under heat, means rigidly securing the confined member against movement as a whole relatively to the confining member, but permitting a part of, the confined member to move relatively to the confining member under inherent expansion of the confined member; said securing means comprising tie bars connecting the members together in the direction of expansion and movable in one of the members.

3. In a fire proof window construction, the combination of the confined and confin-' ing members fitted one within the other with a space between the faces of said members which are"- opposed in the direction of expansion under heat, tension means on each side of the confined member rigidly securtively to the confining member toward the mg it against movement as a whole rela- I.

other side, but permittin a part of the confined member to move re atively to-the confining member under inherent expansion of the confined member, and compressible fill mg pieces located in said spaces between the confined and confining members.

4. In a .fire proof window construction, the combination of theconfined and confining members fitted one within the other with a space between the faces of saidmembers ,which pansion under-heat, tension means on each side of the confined memberrigidly securing it against movement as a whole relatively to i the confining member toward the other side, but permitting a part of the confined member to move relatively to the confining memer under inherent expansion of the con-v fined member, and fusible metal filling pieces interposed in the spaces between the confined and confining members.

' 5. In a fire proof window construction, the combination of the confined and confining members fitted onewithin the other with a space between the faces of said members which are opposed in the direction of expansion under heat, tension means on each side of the confined member rigidly securing it against movement as a whole rela-- tively to the confining member toward the are opposed in the direction of exother side, but permitting a part of the confined member to move relatively to the confining member under inherent expansion of the confined member, and fusible metal filling pieces interposed in the spaces between the confined and confining members, and abutting against tha faces of said members which are opposedin the direction of expansion. f

6. In a fire proof window construction, the combination of the confined and confining members fitted one within the other with a space between them in the direction in which the confined member expands when subjected to heat, fusible metal filling pieces interposed in said spaces, and tie bolts drawing said confined and confining members together upon said filling pieces.

7 In a fire proof window construction, the combination of the confined and confining members fitted one within the othen member under inherent vtroit, Michigan, this with a space between the faces of said members which are opposed in the directlon of expansion under heat, means rigidly securing the confined member againstmovement as a whole relatively to the confining member, but permitting a part of the confined member to move relatively to'the confining expansion of the confined member; said securing means comprising tie bars connecting the members together in the direction of expansion and movable in one of the members, and compressible filling pieces interposed between said confined and confining members.

The foregoing specification signed at De- 19th 'day of October,

WILLIAM R. KINNEAR. In presence of PETER A. GUMMiNs, ALBERT Gr. REED. 

